Diffusion bonding is a technique which involves pressing together components under heat to induce atomic diffusion and produce a metal bond. Some metallic materials (e.g., aluminum alloys) have a tenacious surface oxide that forms rapidly at low partial pressures of oxygen. Such surface oxide layers may be difficult to remove (e.g., via chemical and/or mechanical means). The rapid formation of surface oxide layers may make diffusion bonding of such metallic materials impractical.